Just to put the point I'm about to make into perspective: Memphis is 8-3. Their best win is Arkansas or USF, comparable to Duke. Their worst loss is UAB, comparable to if not worse than Delaware. They also have a loss to Tulane, which is comparable to losing to a healthy Cuse, and ECU. ECU is pretty good this year, so I won't make the argument it is comparable to losing to Rice. But while Memphis probably has one more "good win" I think UConn and Memphis are comparable programs based on the on field results this year. Is anyone making the argument Memphis isn't top 50? They've spent multiple weeks in the top 25 this year.
I genuinely think we are a top 50 team, even with the losses to Rice and Delaware. We obviously should have won those games and I understand people dinging us for losing them. But in my eyes, college football is loaded with teams losing games they shouldn't, every single week of every single season. It's a physical sport being played by dudes who, legally speaking, are barely adults. There are going to be down weeks. We get dinged harder when we lose because we aren't in a conference and have to play worse teams, it is what it is. I'm not saying arguments against us as a top 50 team don't have merit, they do. But I think solely looking at this from a standpoint of wins and losses is short-sighted. It doesn't tell the whole story.
We have one of the top scoring offenses in the nation. We have the most productive WR in FBS, our running back is 8th in FBS in rushing yards, our QB is 6th in passing yardage and was getting Heisman recognition after 10 games. Our defense has missed it's fair share of tackles and had its WTF moments, but is still one of the best in FBS at getting sacks and QB pressures. Those losses to Rice, Delaware and Cuse stung so much precisely because we all know this is a top 50 team.
